The Thoughts and Writing of Robert Wherry

My Daily Newspaper-A Tradition to End?

Ever since I was in the 7th Grade, the daily newspaper has been my special time of day, that time of day I treasured. When I was in the 7th Grade, I used to grab the newspaper and read the comics. My Dad told me if I just read the comics, he would stop taking it. So….I faked reading the paper from cover to cover, and then started REALLY reading it from cover to cover and have ever since.

Currently, I take the Commercial Appeal (Memphis newspaper, overall a good newspaper), the Wall Street Journal and the Friday/Saturday/Sunday editions of the New York Times (I still don’t know how they get it out here for early morning delivery, but I love it).

My paper used to be delivered about 3:15 p.m. I get up and walk about 3:00 a.m., do some weights and then bike over to the gym. For years, I get the newspaper, cycle over the the gym, where I read the newspapers while I rode the stationary bike.

About a month ago, the papers (all delivered by the same person) started coming at 5:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m. etc., any time, but always too late for me to the gym with me.

This throws me off, where I used to have time to read the newspapers while on the stationary bike, now I have to read the newspapers when I get back so I no longer have time to read and enjoy them.

After complaining to the Commercial Appeal about late delivery, it is obvious they aren’t going to do anything, so I will just cancel it, thus ending approximately 52 years of daily newspaper reading.

I have no intention of paying for a digital newspaper or reading it on the iPad or computer. I may as well watch it on tv if I’m doing that.

I’ll miss my daily newspaper, but it will free up more time for me to do other things I enjoy doing.